Goa said to have registered its first swine flu death

Panaji (Goa), Aug.22 (ANI): The coastal state of Goa on Saturday is said to have registered its first swine flu death when a 67-year-old man died at a private hospital here.

State health authorities said Shiva Murthy, arrived in Goa from Bangalore on Friday. He was admitted with high fever and his condition deteriorated after hospitalisation. He passed away this morning, they said.

State Nodal Officer for Swine Flu Dr Jose De Sa said that Murthy's throat swabs have been sent for H1N1 testing to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) in New Delhi and the reports are awaited.

The casuality can be termed as a swine flu death only after test reports confirm him positive for the virus, De Sa said.

A television report said the elderly man was suffering from broncho pneumonia and was earlier hospitalised in Bangalore.

Two more swine flu deaths were reported from Pune and Chennai.

Sixty-year old Baban Hangule succumbed to the virus on Saturday. Pune has witnessed 20 virus-related deaths so far.

According to sources, Hangule was admitted in a serious condition to the state run Sasson Hospital on August 19.

The Maharashtra Health Department has expressed fears about controlling the spreading of the virus.

Educational institutions in the state continue to remain closed because of the swine flu threat.